Salt brick and holder therefor



Dec. .23, 1941.

G. A. WALTER ET AL 2,267,062 SALT BRICK AND HOLDER THEREFOR Filed May 5, 1941 INVENTORS a y l/azer F VaK /Pyne,

I)?" ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNlTE'D STATES Mm orrr v 2,267,062 7 SAL BRICK AND HOLDER 'rnsasroa George A. Walter, Ithaca; and Ralph F. Van Tyne, Leicesten'N. Y.-, assignors to Interna-, tional Salt Company, Retsof, N. Y., a corpora.-

tionof New Jersey Application May 5, 1941, Serial No. 391,898

(Cl. 1l9--51) 2 Claims.

at the rear being necessary for maintaining it on the holder.

Another purpose of the invention is to afford a holder that can be used in connection with a rectangular or similarly shaped pressed salt brick, which can be economically manufactured, is readily positionable in the holder, and is securely retained after being positioned, affording a structure that is in all respects practical and eflicient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder of simple and economical construction that can be readily mounted between two adjacent stalls and will support two salt bricks on'opposite sides of the holder, in positions to be conveniently reached by cattle in-either ofthe adjacent stalls.

Still another purpose of the invention is to afford a construction that permits manufacturing the main portion of the holder from sheet metal, affording a low cost unit and one in which the salt brick can quickly and easily be secured in operative position.

An additional object is to afford a construction that requires a minimum thickness of the salt brick for retaining it in position on the holder, so that practically no part of the brick remains unconsumed due to inaccessibility.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a salt brick holder constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, and with one brick removed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken centrally and showing one of the salt bricks in position, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the bricks.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the invention comprehends a compressed salt brick to be salt used for feeding-livestock, and which isprefer ably of generally rectangular cross-section. The brick is provided with a fiat rear surface l,the grooves 2 formed in itssides 3, said grooves extending the length of the brick and located in close proximity to the flat rear surface I for a purpose that willappear presently, it being understood that the grooves are formed in the pressed brick during its manufacture in any suitable or convenient fashion.

A salt brick thus formed'is designed 'to cooperate with a holder which may be arranged to present two bricks on opposite sides of the holder in position for convenient access to cattle in two adjacent'stalls, and the structure shown for this purpose comprehends' a bracket including a curved clamping portion 4, which carries or is formed as a part ofan arm comprising an elongated flat plate 5, while 6 designates a removable curvedclamping plate adapted to cooperate with the clamping portion 4 and attachable thereto by suitable fastening means for securing the bracket and holder to the usual upright post located between two adjacent'stalls.

The arm or plate 5 extends between two oppositely disposed back walls I which are permanently attached to the arm by rivets 8 or other suitable instrumentalities, each back wall I being adapted to have positioned against it the fiat rear surface I of a salt brick when the latter is operatively positioned. Each back wall 1 is provided at its side edges with forwardly extending side walls 9 which are provided at their front extremities with means engaging the grooves in the salt .brick, such means preferably taking the form of front flanges H! which extend inwardly from the side Walls 9 parallel to the back wall I, and loosely engage the grooves 2 in the salt brick when the latter is positioned thereabove and permitted to slide downwardly.

Downward movement of the salt brick is limited by suitable stop means at the base of the back wall 1, preferably consisting of a flange H extending forwardly for a short distance and affording an abutment beneath the bottom of the salt brick. The parts just described, including the back wall 1, side walls 9, front flanges I0, and bottom flanges II, are preferably formed integrally from sheet metal, the two units thus fabricated being secured to opposite sides of the arm or plate as previously described, and thus affording a simple and convenient means for locating two salt bricks so as to be readily accessible from two adjacent stalls.

Suitable means is provided to prevent removal of the bricks after they are secured in the holder, and this may be accomplished by providing the back walls I at their upper ends with openings l2 through which a cotter pin I3 or other suitable instrumentality is passed, and being thus located above the upper ends of the bricks, it is impossible for the livestock to remove either brick by pushing it upwardly. In some instances, it may be desirable to use only a single brick and holder, in which case the bracket may be omitted, and a single holder employed by fastening the back wall of the holder against a post or any suitable support.

With the construction described, it will be observed that the entire forward portion of each salt brick in front of the flanges I0 is unobstructed and accessible for consumption. After it has been consumed down to the grooves 2, the central portion of the brick between the flanges l0 and overlying the back wall I is still readily accessible and can be consumed until the brick is practically all used, and a salt brick thus formed can be quickly and easily positioned and secured properly in such a holder.

While the invention has been described with reference to the specific details of construction herein shown, it is not necessarily limited in this respect, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a rectangular salt brick having a flat rear surface and provided with grooves of rectangular cross-section extending lengthwise of its sides and located substantially closer to said flat rear surface than to the front surface of the brick, of a holder acting to retain the brick against rotation and to permit substantially all but a relatively thin portion thereof in rear of said grooves to be consumed without the cattle contacting any portion of the holder, said holder including a back wall against which rests said flat rear surface of the brick,

side walls integral with the back wall, said side walls extending at right angles to the back wall and provided at their forward edges with inwardly extending integral flanges positioned parallel to the back wall and extending into said grooves at right angles to the sides of the brick, and a right-angled integral flange located at the base of the back wall, the last mentioned flange terminating in spaced relation behind said side wall flanges and engaging the bottom of the brick to limit its downward movement, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with rectangular salt bricks each having a flat rear surface and provided with grooves of rectangular cross-section extending lengthwise of its sides and located substantially closer to said flat rear surface than to the front surface of the brick, of an attaching bracket consisting of a curved clamping portion terminating in a flat elongated arm extending transversely of said bricks, a holder on each side of said arm acting to retain a brick against rotation and to permit substantially all but a thin portion thereof in rear of said grooves to be consumed without the cattle contacting any portion of the holder, said holders each including a back wall located against said arm and permanently attached thereto, the arm extending transversely of said back walls from one side to the other and intermediate the top and bottom thereof, each holder including side walls integral with the back wall, said side walls extending at right angles to the back wall and provided at their front edges with inwardly extending integral flanges positioned parallel to the back wall and extending into said grooves in the brick at right angles to the sides of the brick, a right-'- angled integral flange located at the base of each back wall for limiting downward movement of the brick and having its front edge located in spaced relation behind said side wall flanges, and a removable curved clamping plate cooperating with said curved clamping portion whereby the device maybe adjustably secured to a vertical post between two adjacent stalls with the salt bricks facing in opposite directions and readily accessible to cattle in both stalls, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE A. WALTER. RALPH F. VAN TYNE. 

